Pages

April 2, 2011

G2: Rangers 12, Red Sox 5

Lackey: 3.2-10-9-2-3, 86. Seven of the 10 hits were for extra bases*: three doubles, two triples, and two home runs, including a grand slam from Adrian Beltre. The Chin got two outs in the fourth, and then crumbled as the next seven Rangers reached base.

* Seven extra-base hits allowed was a new career-worst for Lackey. He also became the first Red Sox pitcher since Luis Tiant in 1974 to give up what Alex Speier called "a double cycle" (at least two singles, two doubles, two triples and two home runs) in the same game.

In his previous 266 career starts, only once had Lackey allowed more runs than he did tonight: September 26, 2008, when Texas pummeled him for 12 hits and 10 runs in only 2.2 innings. (Lackey also allowed nine runs to the Red Sox on August 5, 2003. He allowed seven runs in the third inning that night, yet was not yanked until he allowed the first three guys in the fifth to reach base!)

David Ortiz's two-run homer in the second and RBI grounder in the fourth gives him 1,004 career RBI as a DH, passing Edgar Martinez and taking his place as #1 on the all-time list. (Another one of Martinez's record fell in Seattle, as Ichiro Suzuki became the Mariners' new leader in career hits with #2,248.)

Adrian Gonzalez had two singles and a double and Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

It is being reported that Ian Kinsler became the first player in major league history to hit leadoff home runs in the first two games of the season. He did lead off the first inning in both games, but shouldn't that phrase apply only to the actual leadoff batter of the game -- in the top of the first?

The last time Boston started a season 0-2 was 2005. Those Red Sox won their next two games.

166 comments:

1. Just a note to say I really appreciate that so many people have made the game threads a regular part of their Red Sox watching experience. I'm always a little surprised when the chat picks up again after the winter. Thanks!

2. Dr. Jeff created a few graphs of the W-L Contest entries. I added them to the end of the entries post, so go check 'em out.